Yemen forces target Sanaa runway to block Iranian plane landing

Yemen's Defence Ministry said today that its armed forces had targeted the runway at Sanaa International Airport to prevent an Iranian aircraft from landing on Yemeni territory.

In a statement, the ministry said the "Iran-backed Houthi terrorist militia" had prevented Yemenia, the national carrier, from landing at the capital's airport, while insisting that an Iranian aircraft be allowed to violate Yemeni territory. "For this reason, the airport runway was targeted," the statement said.

Before the aircraft's attempted landing, Yemen's Defence Minister, Tahir Aidha Al Aqili, said earlier today in a televised address that the country's armed forces would respond appropriately to Iranian aircraft violating Yemeni airspace sovereignty. He held the Iranian regime "full legal and moral responsibility," and vowed an "appropriate response to this treacherous act," confronting hostile aircraft violating Yemeni airspace and sovereignty "by all available means."

Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council chairman, Rashad Al Alimi, said the Houthi group "remains committed to its approach of undermining every opportunity for de-escalation, and rejecting every initiative that would protect citizens' interests and preserve Yemen's security and stability."

He said the group had insisted, despite mediation efforts, on receiving a new Iranian flight "outside the legal and sovereign frameworks governing civil aviation," describing it as a step reflecting "deliberate disregard for state institutions" and a rejection of efforts to prevent Yemen sliding towards further escalation.

Mr Al Alimi added that the situation was made more serious because the Yemeni government had repeatedly offered to resume civilian flights through Yemenia, the national carrier legally authorised to operate flights to and from Sanaa airport, and had also offered to facilitate transferring Houthi militia members from Tehran to Sanaa aboard an aircraft chartered by Yemenia, in a way that would preserve citizens' interests, keep the airport running, and respect Yemeni sovereignty under international law and relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

On Friday, the Presidential Leadership Council accused the Houthi group of rejecting government initiatives to operate commercial flights from Sanaa airport via Yemenia. The council insisted the Houthis instead favored disabling the national carrier in favour of Iran's Mahan Air operating flights between Sanaa and Tehran, saying this served Iran's agenda.

The council said it had discussed a request submitted by Iran, through the leadership of the coalition supporting legitimacy in Yemen, to operate a Mahan Air flight from Tehran to Sanaa, aimed at returning Houthi personnel previously transferred from the Houthi-controlled Sanaa airport on July 3. It described the earlier flight as "a blatant violation of the sovereignty of the Republic of Yemen," and discussed instead returning the Houthi personnel aboard an aircraft chartered by Yemenia, according to the state Saba news agency.